Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-09
ELAINE ON THE MESSAGE.

BLAINE ON THE MESSAGE.
 The opinions of Mir. Blaine concerning the Presidents message might we'll be expected to be very interesting, and they are. The New York Tribune did good stroke of work in securing them. They will attract general attention and excite much comment. They are clearly and powerfully expressed.
 Mr. Blaine thinks that the fact that the London papers all declare the message is free trade manifesto and evidently are ans ticipating an enlarged market for English fabrics in the United States consequence of the Presidents recommendations stamps the character of the message more clearly than any words of his can. The President recommends that the tax on tobacco be re- tained. Mir. Blaine thinks it ought to be re- pealed at once. It would, he says. bring
 great relief to growers of tobacco all over the country, and would, moreover, materially lessen the price of the article to consumers. Tobacco to millions of men is necessity. The President calls it a luxury, but it is luxury in no other sense than tea and coffee are luxuries. He would not advise the re- peal of the tax on whisky. On this point he says: Other considerations than those of financial administration are to be taken into account with regard to whisky. There is moral side to it. To cheapen the price of whisky is to increase it's consumption enor- meusly. There would be no sense in urging
 the reform wrought by high license in many States if the national government neutral izes the good effect by making whisky with in the reach of everyone at twenty-five cents gallon. Whisky would be everywhere distill- ed if the surveillance of the government were withdrawn by the remission of the tax, and illicit sales could not then be prevented even by policy as rigorous and searching. that with which Russia pursues the Nihi1ists. It would destroy high license at once in all the States.
 As long as there is whisky to tax MT. Blaine would tax it, and when the national government should have no use for the money he would divide the tax among the federal Union with the specific object of Tightening the tax on real estate, which, he thinks, now pays too large proportion of the total taxes. He would seriously object to the repeal of the duty on wool. To repeal that would work great injustice to many interests and would seriously discourage what we should earnestly encourage, namely, the sheep culture among farmers throughout the Union. To break down wool growing and be dependent on foreign countries for the blanket under which we sleep and the coat that covers our backs is not wise policy for the national government to en- force When asked if the Presidents rec kz n1
 not find strong support MT. Blaine said: Not by wise protectionists in our time. Per
 haps some greedy manufacturers may think that with free coal or free iron ore they can do great things, but if they should succeed in trying will, as the boys say, catch it on the rebound. If the home trade in raw ma terial is destroyed or seriously injured rail- roads will be the first to feel it. If that
 vast interest is crippled in any direction the financial fabric of the whole country will feel it quickly and seriously. If any man can give reason why we should arrange the tariff to favor the raw material of other countries in competition against our mate rial of the same kind I should like to hear it. Should that recommendation of the Presi- dent be approved it would turn one hundred ! thousand American 1aborers out of employ
 ment before it had been 8 year in operation. Mir Blaine declares that the message will | bring the country where it ought to be I brought-to full and fair contest on the question of protection. t'The President | himself makes it the one issue by presenting | no other in his message. I think it well to have the question settled. The Democratic
 party in power is 8 standing menace to the
 industrial prosperity of the country. That
 menace should be removed Or the policy it foreshadows should be made certain. Noth- 1 ing is so mischievous to business as uncer-
 tainty, nothing 50 paralyzing as doubt.''